On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with sports columnist Matt Calkins, who resigned from the Seattle Times after the newspaper killed his column that argued it is not hateful to oppose biological men playing women’s sports. On the news round-up, Zane and Varney discuss a series of stories on the media including: a PJ Media piece on California’s chilling new law Republicans have dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act”; a Washington Free Beacon analysis showing how the New York Times uses the term Islamophobia to delegitimize viewpoints and shut down debate; and an arbitrator’s ruling that the Washington Post must rehire an opinion columnist the paper had fired for inflammatory tweets regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk. 00:00 Cold Open: "I Don't Think I Can Do It Anymore" 00:32 Welcome & Intro to This Episode 00:41 News Roundup: California's "Stop Nick Shirley Act" 06:34 The NYT's "Islamophobia" Label (Washington Free Beacon) 09:18 WaPo Arbitrator Reinstates Columnist Fired Over Charlie Kirk Tweets 13:35 Introducing Matt Calkins 13:37 The Column That Got Him Fired: Sophie Cunningham & Trans Athletes 18:37 Three Previous Columns the Seattle Times Spiked 22:06 Inside the Newsroom: Book Clubs, Activism & the Overton Window 27:17 Is Seattle Sports Media Just Reflecting the City? 32:57 The Decision to Resign 35:17 Seattle Times vs. San Diego Union-Tribune 37:02 Why Newsrooms Keep Losing Readers 39:31 Is the Trans-in-Sports Debate Media-Driven? 42:43 What's Next for Matt Calkins (Substack) 43:44 Closing & Thanks
On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with sports columnist Matt Calkins, who resigned from the Seattle Times after the newspaper killed his column that argued it is not hateful to oppose biological men playing women’s sports.
On the news round-up, Zane and Varney discuss a series of stories on the media including: a PJ Media piece on California’s chilling new law Republicans have dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act”; a Washington Free Beacon analysis showing how the New York Times uses the term Islamophobia to delegitimize viewpoints and shut down debate; and an arbitrator’s ruling that the Washington Post must rehire an opinion columnist the paper had fired for inflammatory tweets regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
00:00 Cold Open: "I Don't Think I Can Do It Anymore"
00:32 Welcome & Intro to This Episode
00:41 News Roundup: California's "Stop Nick Shirley Act"
06:34 The NYT's "Islamophobia" Label (Washington Free Beacon)
09:18 WaPo Arbitrator Reinstates Columnist Fired Over Charlie Kirk Tweets
13:35 Introducing Matt Calkins
13:37 The Column That Got Him Fired: Sophie Cunningham & Trans Athletes
18:37 Three Previous Columns the Seattle Times Spiked
22:06 Inside the Newsroom: Book Clubs, Activism & the Overton Window
27:17 Is Seattle Sports Media Just Reflecting the City?
32:57 The Decision to Resign
35:17 Seattle Times vs. San Diego Union-Tribune
37:02 Why Newsrooms Keep Losing Readers
39:31 Is the Trans-in-Sports Debate Media-Driven?
42:43 What's Next for Matt Calkins (Substack)
43:44 Closing & Thanks
Articles Discussed in This Podcast: